Collapsible boat



J. B. CRAFT 3,056,976

Oct. 9, 1962 COLLAPSIBLE BOAT 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 25, 1959 FIG. 2.

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22 37 M l [I] [ML 1 29 I MIL: 1 46 2 Mae :5

INVENTOR. JOHN B. CRAFT ATTORNEYS Oct. 1952 J. B. CRAFT 3,056,976

COLLAPSIBLE BOAT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1959 I 34 FIG. 10. INVENTOR JOHN B. CRAFT Get. 9, 1962 J. B. CRAFT 3,056,976

COLLAPSIBLE BOAT Filed Nov. 25, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet s FIGJS. l

INVENTOR.

ZZM WSW AT TORNEYS JOHN B. CRAFT 3,056,976 COLLAPSIBLE BOAT John B. Craft, P0. Box 819, Philadelphia 4, Pa. Filed Nov. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 855,441 Claims. (Cl. 9-2) This invention relates to collapsible boats.

An object of this invention is to provide a collapsible boat having an overall shape and appearance substantially like that of a conventional small boat.

A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible boat having sides formed from elongated planks hinged together at the forward ends thereof by a fabric strip of waterproof-material such as rubberized canvas or the like and a bottom of similar fabric attached to and spanning lower edges of the planks.

A further object of this invention is to provide .a collapsible boat: of this type in which asection of the fabric, which is integral. with the bottom section, link free ends of the side planks in such a manner that a rigid transom board can be received in face-to-face relation to said section of the fabric, to hold the transom section of the boat in position.

A further object of this invention is to provid a collapsible boat of this type in which, upon removal of spreading members, the side planks can be folded together to form a compact package.

A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible boat of this structure in which spreader members act as seats for the boat and in which the spreader-seat members are received in saddle members attached to the side planks.

A further object of this invention is to provide a boat of this type having a removable mast and a removable center board mounted thereon to form a sail boat.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from the following detailed description, and the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a boat, constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the boat illustrated in FIG. 1 with a front seat and portions of a front seat supporting member being removed to reveal internal construction;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the stern portion of the boat illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in front elevation showing the side planks with a hinge strip attached and with a fragment of the bottom member being shown attached to one of the side planks before attachment to the other side plank;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the boat with spreader members removed, the boat being partly folded;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the boat with spreader members removed, floor battens also being removed, the boat being partly folded.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the rear section of the boat, the rear portion being shown in dot-dash lines in partially folded position;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view through one of the seat-supporting members, the seat being removed, the seat being shown in place in dot-dash lines;.

assent Patented Oct. 9, 1962 FIG. 9 is a plan view of the boat;

FIG. 10 is a view in section taken on the line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of spreader members for the boat removed therefrom;

FIG. 12 is a view in side elevation showing a boat constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 13 is a bottom plan view of the fabric bottom and transom portion of the boat illustrated in FIG. 12 removed therefrom;

FIG. 14 is a view in section taken along the line 14-14 in FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is a view in section taken along th line 15-15 in FIG. 12, the mast being removed; and

FIG. 16 is a view in section taken on the line 1616 in FIG. 12.

In the following detailed description, and the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts. a

In FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown a boat 20 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention. The boat 20 includes side planks 21 and 22 which are formed of elongated rectangular planks of marine plywood or other flexible sheet material. A bottom 23 of the boat is formed of a waterproof fabric such as rubberized canvas or the like. Forward ends of the side planks 21 and 22 are linked by a hinge strip 24, which can also be formed of fabric, such as rubberized canvas. Rear ends of the side planks 21 and 22 are linked by a strip or section 26 of the fabric, which can be integral with the bottom 23. Edge portions 25 of the fabric bottom are attached to the side planks by a suitable adhesive, such a a waterproof or marine glue, and are further attached thereto by staples 27. Edge portions of the hinge strip 24 and of the rear strip 26 are similarly attached to end portions of the planks by glu and staples.

The side planks are spread apart by means of seat boards 28 and 29, a transom board 31, and a bottom board 32. The shape of these boards is shown in FIG. 11.

The seat boards 28 and 29 are received in front and rear saddles 33 and 34, respectively. Each of the saddles is formed of a strip of fabric such as canvas or the like. The front saddle 33' is formed of a strip of canvas having end portions 36 and 37 (FIGS. 1 and 2) turned over upper edges of the planks 21 and 22, respectively, and stapled thereto. End portions 38 and 39 of the saddle strip 34 are similarly turned over the upper edges of the side planks 21 and 22, respectively, and stapled thereto.

When the boat is in operating condition, seat boards 28 and 29 are received inside the saddle strips 33 and 34,

respectively, and the ends of the seat boards hold the side planks in spaced relation.

The side planks are also held in spaced relation by the bottom board 32. The bottom board 32 is releasably received between upper and lower strips or battens 42 and 43, which are attached to the side wall planks near The rear ends of the side planks are held in spaced v relation by the transom board 31. Rear battens 46 and 47 are attached to the side planks 21 and 22, respectively,

adjacent but spaced from rear edges thereof. The transom board 31 fits between the rear battens 46 and 47 and the rear fabric panel or section 26 as shown most clearly in FIG. 7 to hold rear ends of the side planks spaced.

When the boat is to be collapsed, the transom board 31, the seat boards 28 and 29 and the bottom board 32 are removed, and the side planks can then be folded toward each other, as shown in FIGS. and 6, to form a compact package. When the boat is to be used, the seat boards 28 and 29 and the bottom board 32 and the transom board 31 are replaced to spread the side plank-s and complete the boat.

In FIGS. 12 to 16, inclusive, is shown a boat generally similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 to 11, inclusive, and portions of the boat shown in FIGS. 12 to 16, inclusive, which are identical with similar portions of the boat shown in FIGS. 1 to 11, inclusive, are identified with the same numerals with the letter a appended thereto. The boat shown in FIGS. 12 to 16, inclusive, additionally includes a plurality of interlocking cleats 51 and 52 (FIG. 15) attached to the side planks 21a and 22a, respectively. The cleats 51 and 52 interlock to support a mast 53. A mast block 54, which is a flat board having a well 56 therein, rests on the fabric bottom 23a and receives the lower end of the mast 53. A boom 57 (FIG. 12) is mounted on the mast, and a sail 58 is mounted on the mast 53 and on the boom 57. An oar lock 59 (FIGS. 12 and 14) is mounted in the transom board, and a removable oar 61, only a portion of which is shown (FIG. 12) can rest in the oar lock for steering the boat. The fabric bottom 23a is further stiffened by bottom battens 62, 63, and 64, which are adhesively attached to the fabric bottom and are further held thereto by staples 65. The bottom batten 63 is longer than the other bottom battens and extends along the center line of the boat. A groove 66 therein receives an upper edge of a center board 67. The center board 67 is formed from a plank of marine plywood or the like. A fabric strip 68 holds the center board 67 in place. Ends of the fabric strip 68 are attached to the side planks 21a and 22a by staples 69. Blocks 71 and 72 are attached to the upper side of the strip 68 and engage opposite sides of the center board 67 to hold the center board in position extending downwardly from the bottom of the boat. As shown in FIG. 12, a tongue 73 on the center board extends below the strip 68 forward of the strip 68 to hold the center board 67 securely in place.

The boats illustrated in the drawings and described above are subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by letters patents, is:

1. A collapsible boat which comprises a pair of elongated side planks of board-like material forming sides thereof, a waterproof fabric strip hinging forward ends of said side planks together, a waterproof fabric bottom sheet attached to lower edges of the side planks and linking the side planks, a transom strip of waterproof material attached to and linking rear edges of the side planks and integral with the bottom sheet, a keel board attached to the underside of the fabric bottom sheet along the center line thereof, there being an elongated slot in said keel board along the center line, a flexible fabric strip attached to and extending between the side planks beneath the fabric sheet, a eenterboard, an upper edge of the centerboard being receivable in the slot of the keel board With the last mentioned fabric strip underlying and supporting the eenterboard, means on the centerboard extending below the last mentioned fabric strip forwardly thereof for holding the centerboard in the slot of the keel, and means for holding the side planks in spaced relation to hold the bottom sheet and the transom strip taut, the side planks being adapted to fold into fiatwise face-toface relation when the holding means is released.

2. A collapsible boat which comprises a pair of elongated side planks of board-like material forming sides thereof, a waterproof fabric strip hinging forward ends of said side planks together, a waterproof fabric bottom sheet attached to lower edges of the side planks and linking the side planks, a transom strip of waterproof material attached to and linking rear edges of the side planks and integral With the bottom sheet, and a flexible fabric strip linking upper edges of the side planks, and a rigid seat board removably received inside and supported by said last mentioned fabric strip and holding the side planks in spaced relation to hold the bottom sheet and the transom strip taut, the side planks being adapted to fold into flatwise face-to-face relation when the seat board is removed.

3. A collapsible boat which comprises a pair of elongated side planks of board-like material forming sides thereof, a waterproof fabric strip hinging forward ends of said side planks together, a waterproof fabric bottom sheet attached to lower edges of the side planks and linking the side planks, a transom strip of waterproof material attached to and linking rear edges of the side planks and integral with the bottom sheet, a flexible fabric strip linking upper edges of the side planks, a seat board received inside and supported by said last mentioned fabric strip and holding the side planks in spaced relation to hold the bottom sheet and the transom strip taut, and a rigid removable transom board spanning the rear edges of the side planks and in substantially face-to-face relation with the transom strip to hold rear ends of the side planks in spaced relation, the side planks being adapted to fold into fiatwise face-to-face relation when the seat board and the transom board are removed.

4. A collapsible boat which comprises a pair of elongated side planks of board-like material forming sides thereof, a waterproof fabric strip hinging forward ends of said side planks together, a waterproof fabric bottom sheet attached to lower edges of the side planks and linking the side planks, a transom strip of waterproof material attached to and linking rear edges of the side planks and integral with the bottom sheet, and means for holding the side planks in spaced relation to hold the bottom sheet and the transom strip taut, av rigid removable transom board spanning the rear edges of the side planks and in substantially face-to-face relation with the transom strip to hold rear ends of the side planks in spaced relation, a keel board attached to the underside of the fabric bottom sheet along the center line thereof, there being an elongated slot in said keel board along the eenterline, a centerboard, a flexible fabric strip attached to and extending between the side boards =and beneath the centerboard for removably mounting the centerboard below the bottom of the boat with the upper edge of the centerboard received in said slot, and means for mounting a mast adjacent forward edges of the side planks, the side planks being adapted to fold into flatwise face-to-faee relation when the transom board is removed and the holding means is released.

5. A collapsible boat which comprises a pair of elongated side planks of board-like material forming sides thereof, a waterproof fabric strip hinging forward ends of said side planks together, a waterproof fabric bottom sheet attached to lower edges of the side planks and linking the side planks, a transom strip waterproof material attached to and linking rear edges of the side planks and integral with the bottom sheet, and means for holding the side planks in spaced relation to hold the bottom sheet and the transom strip taut, a rigid removable transom board spanning the rear edges of the side planks and in substantially face-tdface relation with the transom strip to hold rear ends of the side planks in spaced relation, a keel board attached to the underside of the fabric bottom sheet along the center line thereof, there being an elongated slot in said keel board along the centerline, a centerboard, a flexible fabric strip attached. to and extending be tween the side planks and beneath the centerboard for removably mounting the centerboard below the bottom of the boat wtih the upper edge of the center-board received in said slot, and cleat members mounted on inner faces of the side planks adjacent forward edges of the side planks to define a socket therebetween for receiving a mast to mount the mast inside the boat, the side planks being adapted to fold into fiatwise face-to-face relation when the transom board is removed and the holding means is released.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Anderson Dec. 20, 1932 Miller July 4, 1933 Horak Oct. 24, 1933 Straussler Dec. 5, 1933 Dennis Apr. 4, 1939 Lee Dec. 10, 1940 Clark July 4, 1944 Ormond Oct. 19, 1948 R-andrup Apr. 18, 1950 Geisler Sept. 5, 1950 Szakacs Nov. 22, 1955 Green Apr. 15, 1958 Henry Apr. 7, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 14, 1943 

